Board for finishing stockings



' (No Model.)

W. H. HOWARD. BOARD FOR FINISHING STOCKINGS.

No. 425,796. Patented Apr. 15,1890.

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* UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM H. I-IOlVARD, OF LOIVELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVAUKENHOSE COMPANY, OF MAINE.

BOARD FOR FINISHING STOCKINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,796, dated April 15, 1890.

Application filed April 16, 1889. Serial No. 307,453- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. HOWARD, of Lowell, in the county of Middlescx and State of illassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boards for Finishing Stockings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object the provision of means whereby a stocking may be so boarded or stretched on a former that the foot portion shall be flat and havean outline representing the outline of the sole of the foot,

or substantially such form.

Heretofore in boarding stockings it has been common to construct a board having the form in outline of the human leg and foot when viewed sidewise, and to place such board in the stocking in such position that the edges of the board will extend along the center of the front of the leg, top and bottom of the foot, and rear of the leg.

By my improvements the board is adapted to be placed in the stocking in such position that the edges of the board may extend along the sides of the foot, and, if desired, along the sides of the leg also, so that the foot portion of ,the stocking, after the latter shall have been boarded, will have a form in outline resembling the outline of the sole of the human foot.

My improvements are particularly designed to board stockings knit as rights and lefts, or so as to conform to the shape of the human foot-such stockings, for example, as are shown and described in United States Letters Patent granted to N. T. Folsom, September 6, 1887, No. 369,637though they may be employed on stockings of a different structural character.

My invention consists of the improvements hereinafter fully described, and subsequently set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same letters designating the same parts or features, as the case may be, in all of the'views.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved boards adapted to the boarding of a stocking designed to be worn upon the left foot. Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 with a stocking in position on the board. Fig. 3 shows my improved board designed to board and shape a stocking to be worn on the right foot. Fig. l shows the foot-board hinged above the lower end of the leg-board. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view, enlarged, of a stocking folded after having been boarded on my improved device.

In carrying out my invention I provide fiat boards a for the foot portion of the stockings,

having a form in outline resembling the outline of the sole of the human foot, constructing such boards in pairs, as rights and lefts. These boards a, I attach to boards I), suitably constructed to remove the wrinkles from and shape the leg portion of the stockings, such attachment being so made that when the stocking is being dried on the board the foot portion will extend at an angle to the leg portion, as shown in Fig. 2. 'I prefer (though it is not essential) to hinge the foot portion a to the leg portion 6, so that the two parts may be adjusted in the same line, as shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. 1, in order to facilitate the drawing of the stocking on the board, and so that when the stocking is drawn on the foot portion maybe adjusted or turned out at right angles to the leg portion, one leaf of the hinge being preferably slightly bent or inclined near its joint to facilitate this.

I prefer to form the foot portion of the board as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, so that when said portion of the board is placed in the foot of the stocking its edges will extend along the sides of the foot and along the sides of and around the toe and heel, though the boarding of the heel may be provided for by extending the leg portion of the board below the point where the foot portion is connected therewith, the foot portion proper and connected toe portion extending at an angle to the leg and heel portion, as shown in Fig. 4.

In all instances I propose to so construct myimproved means that they maybe adapted to board the heel and toe of the stocking, as well as the foot proper, in such manner that after the stocking shall have been removed from the board and the top of the foot folded against the forward part of the leg the bottom will have a form in outline resembling the outline of the sole of the human foot, as shown in Fig. 5.

The board for the leg portion of the stocking, when the same is to be employed in the boarding of half-hose, I prefer to construct as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4t, and to arrange it so that the edges of the board will extend along the sides of the leg portion of the stocking; but in some instancesfor example, in some classes of ladies hose-I prefer to hinge the leg-board in a line lengthwise of the footboard, as is shown in Fig. 3, arranging it so that the edges of the said board will extend along the front and rear of the leg, while the board for the foot will be arranged so that its edges may extend along the sides of the foot and around the toe and heel.

Having described the nature of my inven tion and explained the manner of using the same, I declare thatwhat I claim is- 1. A stocking-board made of two solid wooden boards, of a flat level surface, one of said boards. having an edge outline corresponding to the outline of the sole of the human foot, said boards being joined or hinged together to fold one upon the other, and with theend edge of one upon the flat surface of the other, as set forth.

2. A stocking board consisting of two pieces-namely, of an even-surfaced leg-board and an even-surfaced foot-board shaped at its edge to resemble the outline of the sole of the human foot, said boards being hinged together with the end edge of one upon the surface of the other, as set forth, and with one of the boards projecting beyond the other at the heel part, all as set forth.

3. A stocking-board in two piecesto wit, a fiat-surfaced foot-board and a fiat-surfaced leg-board hinged together, the foot-board having an edge outline to correspond with that of the sole of the human foot, the leg-piece being hinged to the foot piece in a line lengthwise of said foot-piece, all as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of April, A. D. 1889.

' XVILLIAM II. I-IOXVARD. lVitnesses:

ARTHUR W. CRossLEY, A. D. HARRISON. 

